Security. Built right in.

We designed macOS with advanced technologies that work together to constantly monitor, encrypt, update — and ultimately keep your Mac safer. And with macOS Mojave available as a free upgrade, it’s never been easier to protect your Mac.*

More secure hardware and software.

Apple T2 chip.The next generation of security.

The Apple T2 chip — featured on iMac Pro and the 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar — keeps your Mac safer than ever. The Secure Enclave coprocessor in the Apple T2 chip provides the foundation for Touch ID, secure boot, and encrypted storage capabilities. Touch ID gives you a seamless way to use your fingerprint as a passcode and make purchases with Apple Pay. Secure boot helps ensure that you are running trusted operating system software from Apple, while the Apple T2 chip automatically encrypts your storage drive.

Apple helps you keep your Mac secure with software updates.

The best way to keep your Mac secure is to run the latest software. When new updates are available, macOS sends you a notification. Just accept the updates with a click and they download automatically. macOS checks for new updates every day, so it’s easy to always have the latest and safest version.

FileVault 2 encrypts your data.

With FileVault 2, your data is safe and secure — even if your Mac falls into the wrong hands. FileVault 2 encrypts the entire drive on your Mac, protecting your data with XTS-AES 128 encryption. And on Mac systems with an Apple T2 chip, FileVault 2 keys are created and protected by the Secure Enclave. Want to start fresh or give your Mac to someone else? FileVault 2 makes it easy to clean data off your Mac. Instant wipe removes the encryption keys from your Mac — making the data completely inaccessible — then proceeds with a thorough wipe of all data from the disk.

Runtime protectionsdefend at the core.

The technically sophisticated runtime protections in macOS work at the very core of your Mac to help keep your system safe. Technologies like XD (execute disable), Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and Kernel ASLR make it difficult for malware to run or do harm by subverting memory or other apps. System Integrity Protection (SIP) ensures that even with root access to your system, malware cannot change critical system files and settings. On macOS Mojave, developers can opt in to an Enhanced Runtime that extends these runtime protections to their apps. And on Mac computers with an Apple T2 chip, secure boot ensures that only legitimate macOS operating system software loads on your Mac.

Your Mac stays on the alert.

Innocent-looking files downloaded over the Internet may contain dangerous malware in disguise. That’s why files you download using Safari, Mail, and Messages are screened to determine if they contain applications. If they do, macOS alerts you, then warns you the first time you open one. You decide whether to open the application or cancel the attempt. And if a file contains software identified as malicious, macOS offers to move it to the Trash.

macOS and iCloud can help find your missing Mac.

macOS and iCloud can help keep your Mac safe even when you misplace it. Sign in to iCloud.com from another computer or use the Find My iPhone app on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to locate your missing Mac on a map. If your Mac is offline when you try to find it, you can ask to receive an email as soon as it makes a Wi‑Fi connection. You can also display a message on your Mac screen so whoever has it knows how to get it back to you. And until your Mac is back in safe hands, you can set a passcode lock remotely, suspend Apple Pay, or even initiate a remote wipe to delete your personal data and restore your Mac to its factory settings.

Safer-running apps.

Download safe apps from the Mac App Store.

Apple reviews each app before it’s accepted by the store, and if there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly remove it from the store. All apps from the App Store are sandboxed to protect your Mac and data from harmful actions.

Gatekeeper makes downloading apps from the Internet safer.

Gatekeeper gives you more control over what you install on your Mac. It allows you to run apps from the Mac App Store as well as those from other sources that are signed with a Developer ID from Apple. The Developer ID allows Gatekeeper to block apps created by malware developers and to verify that apps haven’t been tampered with. With macOS Mojave, developers can upload their apps to Apple for a security check. And now you’ll see a streamlined dialog when you first launch these apps.

Stay in control of what data apps can access.

macOS puts you in control of which apps can access your calendar, contacts, photos, location, reminders, and private system data like your Messages history, Mail database, and Safari data — as well as your camera and mic.

Safer browsing with Safari.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention.

Remember when you looked at that green mountain bike online? And then saw annoying green mountain bike ads everywhere you browsed? Safari uses machine learning to identify advertisers and others who track your online behavior, and removes the cross‑site tracking data they leave behind. So your browsing stays your business. And now Safari keeps embedded content such as Like buttons, Share buttons, and comment widgets from tracking you without your permission. We know you’ll like that.

Fingerprinting defense.

When you browse the web, the characteristics of your device can be used by advertisers to create a “fingerprint” to follow you online. Safari now thwarts this by only sharing a simplified system profile, making it more difficult for data companies to identify and track you.

Stronger passwords are harder to crack.

The strongest passwords are long and complex. Creating passwords like this for every site can be tedious. But Safari makes it easy by automatically creating and storing strong passwords for you, then autofilling your passwords across all your Apple devices. And in Safari preferences, you can see any passwords that have been used more than once and easily update them.

To further increase security for your Apple ID, Apple recommends that you turn on two-factor authentication. With two-factor authentication, your account can be accessed only on devices you trust, like your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. So when you want to sign in with your Apple ID on a new device for the first time, you need to provide two pieces of information — your password and the six-digit verification code that’s automatically displayed on your trusted devices.

Once you have a unique, strong password, iCloud Keychain will remember it so you don’t have to. iCloud Keychain stores your user names and passwords and syncs them between the devices you choose — Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. When you visit a site, iCloud Keychain will fill in your login information to give you access to your online accounts, and it can also autofill your credit card information when you’re checking out online. And your information is always protected with robust, 256-bit AES encryption.

Antiphishing protects you from fraudulent websites.

Phishing is a form of attack in which online thieves try to acquire sensitive information such as user names, passwords, and credit card details by creating fake websites that look like sites from legitimate companies — like your bank or a social networking site. The antiphishing technology in Safari can protect you from such scams by detecting these fraudulent websites. And if you try to visit a suspicious site, Safari disables the page and displays an alert warning you about its suspect nature.